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Write Like This
If you want to learn how to shoot a basketball, you begin by carefully observing someone who knows how to shoot a basketball. If you want to be a writer, you begin by carefully observing the work of accomplished writers. Recognizing the importance that modeling plays in the learning process, high school English teacher Kelly Gallagher shares how he gets his students to stand next to and pay close attention to model writers, and how doing so elevates his students' writing abilities. "Write Like This" is built around a central premise: if students are to grow as writers, they need to read good writing, they need to study good writing, and, most important, they need to emulate good writers.
In "Write Like This," Kelly emphasizes real-world writing purposes, the kind of writing he wants his students to be doing twenty years from now. Each chapter focuses on a specific discourse: express and reflect, inform and explain, evaluate and judge, inquire and explore, analyze and interpret, and take a stand/propose a solution. In teaching these lessons, Kelly provides mentor texts (professional samples as well as models he has written in front of his students), student writing samples, and numerous assignments and strategies proven to elevate student writing.
By helping teachers bring effective modeling practices into their classrooms, "Write Like This "enables students to become better adolescent writers. More important, the practices found in this book will help our students develop the writing skills they will need to become adult writers in the real world.
In "Write Like This," Kelly emphasizes real-world writing purposes, the kind of writing he wants his students to be doing twenty years from now. Each chapter focuses on a specific discourse: express and reflect, inform and explain, evaluate and judge, inquire and explore, analyze and interpret, and take a stand/propose a solution. In teaching these lessons, Kelly provides mentor texts (professional samples as well as models he has written in front of his students), student writing samples, and numerous assignments and strategies proven to elevate student writing.
By helping teachers bring effective modeling practices into their classrooms, "Write Like This "enables students to become better adolescent writers. More important, the practices found in this book will help our students develop the writing skills they will need to become adult writers in the real world.
436 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2011
138 people are currently reading
1434 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
January 17, 2017
For days when I feel lost in my teaching, unsupported by my mentors, and unsure of my own abilities, I turn to Kelly Gallagher. In his books, including Write Like This, I always find a kind, experienced and guiding voice, that gives me advice I can use in my practice and the hope to know that educators are always looking for ways to improve their teaching. I know that I will turn to this book again and again. Thank you Mr. Gallagher. ❤️
February 11, 2021
The majority of this book is made up of writing assignment ideas divided into various categories. These were OK. However, they might be really useful for those who are teaching writing for the first time. The parts that I found the most useful were the first and last chapter, which focused a lot more strongly on the the practice of writing in general and the principles behind it.
March 15, 2014
why: This is another text I need to review for possible use with my college students at CU this fall. Also, this book has been on my list for reading for my own professional development as a teacher.
when: start 7/14, end 7/16 (started on leg one of the summer road trip and completed during leg two: Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Grand Teton National Park)
how: I read this as hard copy, in the passenger seat of the car, sticky notes in hand again making notes about how this would fit into my course syllabus.
thoughts: After the Colorado Writing Project work I did this past summer, I've been very anxious to read this because it gives more details about how to use mentor texts and modeling to teach writing authentically in the high school classroom (these are all key tenets of the writing workshop philosophy). I picked up lots of ideas for my own classroom--so I'm hopeful that my CU students will find this useful as they think about their future classrooms as well. This book is full of practical ideas for getting students to do real-world, authentic writing (not the five paragraph essay...but the kinds of writing they actually see in our world). I've been wanting to figure this out--how to get my students writing things that they will see as actually useful to their lives beyond school. School writing really need not be different from real world writing. I want my students to be able to think through complexity and struggle with words to communicate their ideas about their lives. Ideas in this book have helped me to figure that out more.
review haiku:
write for real, students
not just for school. Life demands:
think. write. communicate.
when: start 7/14, end 7/16 (started on leg one of the summer road trip and completed during leg two: Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Grand Teton National Park)
how: I read this as hard copy, in the passenger seat of the car, sticky notes in hand again making notes about how this would fit into my course syllabus.
thoughts: After the Colorado Writing Project work I did this past summer, I've been very anxious to read this because it gives more details about how to use mentor texts and modeling to teach writing authentically in the high school classroom (these are all key tenets of the writing workshop philosophy). I picked up lots of ideas for my own classroom--so I'm hopeful that my CU students will find this useful as they think about their future classrooms as well. This book is full of practical ideas for getting students to do real-world, authentic writing (not the five paragraph essay...but the kinds of writing they actually see in our world). I've been wanting to figure this out--how to get my students writing things that they will see as actually useful to their lives beyond school. School writing really need not be different from real world writing. I want my students to be able to think through complexity and struggle with words to communicate their ideas about their lives. Ideas in this book have helped me to figure that out more.
review haiku:
write for real, students
not just for school. Life demands:
think. write. communicate.
July 13, 2017
4.5/5
Hmm I thought I finished this already?? Anyway, this book is absolutely phenomenal and a must have for all educators. Writing is something that every student will face in their lives, so why aren't educators preparing our students? This isn't just an English education problem either - all content areas benefit from understanding that writing is an important cornerstone of their classes also.
The book is divided into sections related to Bloom's Taxonomy - analysis, evaluating, etc, which is great for educators who may want to focus on a specific skill. Within the chapters are a metric load of activities to steal and modify in your own class. And the great thing about the activities is that they are all pretty blended - you with analyze and evaluate, infer and judge, etc. during these activities.
The book also helps with the writing process: the second to last chapter is about helping students get out of the "shitty first draft" mentality. The final chapter is about how educators can improve their classroom for their student writers.
Overall great book, I highly recommend it to any educator.
Hmm I thought I finished this already?? Anyway, this book is absolutely phenomenal and a must have for all educators. Writing is something that every student will face in their lives, so why aren't educators preparing our students? This isn't just an English education problem either - all content areas benefit from understanding that writing is an important cornerstone of their classes also.
The book is divided into sections related to Bloom's Taxonomy - analysis, evaluating, etc, which is great for educators who may want to focus on a specific skill. Within the chapters are a metric load of activities to steal and modify in your own class. And the great thing about the activities is that they are all pretty blended - you with analyze and evaluate, infer and judge, etc. during these activities.
The book also helps with the writing process: the second to last chapter is about helping students get out of the "shitty first draft" mentality. The final chapter is about how educators can improve their classroom for their student writers.
Overall great book, I highly recommend it to any educator.
July 28, 2016
I tried reading this at the library and taking notes, but after wanting to copy down the entire thing I caved and bought it. Absolutely packed with writing prompts, mentor texts, and Gallagher's and students' drafts based on the models. Definitely will be referring to this for years to come!
June 7, 2017
So many fabulous ideas and prompts to encourage my students to write for different purposes. I love that Gallagher always gives practical advice and specific strategies to use in my own classroom one day. He inspires me to be a better writer for my future students.
January 25, 2017
Kelly Gallagher never fails to give me hope for the teaching profession.
April 12, 2018
So engaging. So many teaching ideas. So student-focused. A little idealistic.
October 17, 2011
It's Kelly Gallagher; enough said. This may be my favorite of his books so far. It's researched, practical, and chock full of ideas that are particiularly pertinent as we in Texas move into a new chapter in testing. There were two parts that made me slightly uncomfortable (something in the chapter on persuasive writing and another small thing in the polishing chapter), but the book still warrants all five stars. A must read for ELA teachers at any level.
May 12, 2024
It's amazing how much my philosophies about teaching and literacy mirror those held by Gallagher. I just lament the fact that he wrote the book first.
Rereading nine years later. Still good, although the pop culture examples are a little dated.
Rereading nine years later. Still good, although the pop culture examples are a little dated.
December 22, 2020
Whenever you have an opportunity to read something by Kelly Gallagher, do not hesitate to do so. This book completely transformed how we approach writing with our 9th graders. After only one year, they write more, are invested in what they write, and they write better. No, this is not a program that sells you a scripted plan. This is all about offering students choice and personalizing what they write.
Gallagher passionately and clearly explains what the real-world writing process is - writing that isn't just what you need to do in school, but also what you need to do for life. I love that he breaks each chapter into one type of writing (express and reflect, inform and explain, evaluate and judge, inquire and explore, analyze and interpret, and propose a solution). Full of examples that he has written himself, along with student examples, it's easy to understand how to teach these types of writing. And there's more. Gallagher also includes mentor texts that represent the writing styles so you can share them with your students.
If you are looking to improve your students' writing in a meaningful, personalized way that encourages student to choose their own topics, ones they care about, all while practicing the different types of writing, then this book is for you. Don't miss it!
Gallagher passionately and clearly explains what the real-world writing process is - writing that isn't just what you need to do in school, but also what you need to do for life. I love that he breaks each chapter into one type of writing (express and reflect, inform and explain, evaluate and judge, inquire and explore, analyze and interpret, and propose a solution). Full of examples that he has written himself, along with student examples, it's easy to understand how to teach these types of writing. And there's more. Gallagher also includes mentor texts that represent the writing styles so you can share them with your students.
If you are looking to improve your students' writing in a meaningful, personalized way that encourages student to choose their own topics, ones they care about, all while practicing the different types of writing, then this book is for you. Don't miss it!
June 28, 2017
A MUST-read for any teacher in the middle grades looking to improve their students' writing. An incredible resource with writing models to try right away that can easily be fit into your day. Kelly Gallagher's book conveys the importance of writing for many purposes and encourages you (through multiple lesson ideas) to steer away from the traditional 5 paragraph essay.
April 17, 2017
As teaching books go, this one has some gems, especially to approach my reluctant readers/writers.
March 20, 2018
Full of practical ideas and a philosophy that will push many teachers outside of their comfort zone. Great read!
July 11, 2019
Write Like This contains a wealth of sample prompts & lesson ideas, but this is true of many books. What makes it stand above the others, in my view, is that it rings these prompts & ideas around a simple, compelling vision for authentic & meaningful writing instruction. I assigned the book in a graduate seminar on ELA teaching methods & have been leaning on it myself as I design a couple new courses in first-year composition.
June 13, 2012
Seriously. Does Gallagher receive anything LESS than a five star rating on ANY of his books? Between his conversational style of writing and his day-one-ready-to-implement ideas, Write Like This is a teacher's helpmate. Whether you are new to the teaching field or looking to infuse new ideas in your classroom, Kelly Gallagher has something for everyone.
Focusing on why "real life" writers write (vs. writing/teaching for say, a standardized test that rolls around once a year), he shows the reader why we REALLY write: express/reflect, inform/explain, evaluate/judge, inquire/explore, analyze/interpret, take a stand/propose a solution. Ways in which to teach these in a real-life setting are thought provoking and lead kids to think deeper than surface level. Naturally, the proponent of "article of the week" has many ideas for how to infuse current events into writing. But there are truthfully too many gems for me to list here in addition to using current event nonfiction pieces. In fact, my copy of Write Like This, as is his Deeper Reading, is so flagged with mini sticky notes that it's a fire hazard.
I especially liked how board games like Table Topics the "Book Club" version and Imaginiff could bring a change in the wind in the classroom. The idea of using pictures of a remodeled home side by side to illustrate how writers revise was also very illustrative. Having used his RADAR to much success this last year, I can attest to its power in explaining to burgeoning writers how revision should be taught in a writer's workshop classroom. Speaking of illustrative, I couldn't help but wonder at the simplicity of showing kids an art piece and having them "read" it multiple times to show first hand how very important it is to revisit written pieces (both when we read as well as when we think=write). So simple yet so powerful.
I loved Gallagher's book so much and plan to use large chunks of it in my middle school writing program next year that I hesitate to mention a few minor annoyances with it. In one section, he suggests a book entitled The Choking Doberman and Other Urban Legends. It seems to me that this title, first published in the eighties, might not be a necessity with the helpful website called Snopes.com. Why suggest a title to strapped teachers when we can get the same kind of stories for free? In another instance, a website listed as ideas for quotations was no longer current. Obviously when stacked next to the wealth of information Kelly Gallagher so masterfully shares with his audience, these are simply a blip on the screen.
Highly recommended.
Focusing on why "real life" writers write (vs. writing/teaching for say, a standardized test that rolls around once a year), he shows the reader why we REALLY write: express/reflect, inform/explain, evaluate/judge, inquire/explore, analyze/interpret, take a stand/propose a solution. Ways in which to teach these in a real-life setting are thought provoking and lead kids to think deeper than surface level. Naturally, the proponent of "article of the week" has many ideas for how to infuse current events into writing. But there are truthfully too many gems for me to list here in addition to using current event nonfiction pieces. In fact, my copy of Write Like This, as is his Deeper Reading, is so flagged with mini sticky notes that it's a fire hazard.
I especially liked how board games like Table Topics the "Book Club" version and Imaginiff could bring a change in the wind in the classroom. The idea of using pictures of a remodeled home side by side to illustrate how writers revise was also very illustrative. Having used his RADAR to much success this last year, I can attest to its power in explaining to burgeoning writers how revision should be taught in a writer's workshop classroom. Speaking of illustrative, I couldn't help but wonder at the simplicity of showing kids an art piece and having them "read" it multiple times to show first hand how very important it is to revisit written pieces (both when we read as well as when we think=write). So simple yet so powerful.
I loved Gallagher's book so much and plan to use large chunks of it in my middle school writing program next year that I hesitate to mention a few minor annoyances with it. In one section, he suggests a book entitled The Choking Doberman and Other Urban Legends. It seems to me that this title, first published in the eighties, might not be a necessity with the helpful website called Snopes.com. Why suggest a title to strapped teachers when we can get the same kind of stories for free? In another instance, a website listed as ideas for quotations was no longer current. Obviously when stacked next to the wealth of information Kelly Gallagher so masterfully shares with his audience, these are simply a blip on the screen.
Highly recommended.
July 22, 2013
Gallagher, K. (2011). Write like this: teaching real-world writing through modeling & mentor texts. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse Publishers.
Genre/Format: Best Practice Guide, Professional Education Text
Summary: Gallagher starts his second writing book of by explaining what’s at stake for the nation if students do not learn to write effectively. He calls for schools to move “writing to the front burner” before he guides readers through the subsequent chapters, sharing specific invitations that move students towards authentic writing practice. Within each of these chapters, he also folds in mentor texts, examples of modeling, and student samples. Readers can also find a healthy appendix full of reproducibles for their own classrooms.
What I Think: I am a major Kelly fan, so it’s hard for me to find much fault in his books, especially when unlike a lot of education authors, he stays in the classroom doing the actual work that’s published in his books. His ideas are so specific in this particular book that I wanted to immediately start working these suggestions right into my curriculum as I read. In my head, I’d like to have a bank of maybe, powerpoint slides, each hosting one of these writing invitations, that way, as my students shift into our Sacred Writing Time, I can provide practice under each of writing purposes Gallagher proposes.
Read With: A highlighter and lesson plan book
Like This? Kelly Gallagher’s Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12 (2004);
Snatch of Text: “Repeat after me one more time: when teaching students how to write, the most effective strategy is a teacher who writes, and thinks out loud, in front of his or her students. We go first, then they go” (p. 16).
Classroom Application: Aside from the obvious--seven chapters teeming with concrete examples of best practice--Gallagher poses the need for teaching students why they should write.
Personal Application: Although he admits it takes some guts to “actually take the leap and write in front of” our students, his repetition of teacher modeling confirms that this truly is the best method for teaching writing.
Topics Covered: Research on Writing, Real-World Writing Purposes, Teacher Modeling, Mentor Texts, Student Samples
(Thanks to Jen Vincent for this structure!)
Genre/Format: Best Practice Guide, Professional Education Text
Summary: Gallagher starts his second writing book of by explaining what’s at stake for the nation if students do not learn to write effectively. He calls for schools to move “writing to the front burner” before he guides readers through the subsequent chapters, sharing specific invitations that move students towards authentic writing practice. Within each of these chapters, he also folds in mentor texts, examples of modeling, and student samples. Readers can also find a healthy appendix full of reproducibles for their own classrooms.
What I Think: I am a major Kelly fan, so it’s hard for me to find much fault in his books, especially when unlike a lot of education authors, he stays in the classroom doing the actual work that’s published in his books. His ideas are so specific in this particular book that I wanted to immediately start working these suggestions right into my curriculum as I read. In my head, I’d like to have a bank of maybe, powerpoint slides, each hosting one of these writing invitations, that way, as my students shift into our Sacred Writing Time, I can provide practice under each of writing purposes Gallagher proposes.
Read With: A highlighter and lesson plan book
Like This? Kelly Gallagher’s Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12 (2004);
Snatch of Text: “Repeat after me one more time: when teaching students how to write, the most effective strategy is a teacher who writes, and thinks out loud, in front of his or her students. We go first, then they go” (p. 16).
Classroom Application: Aside from the obvious--seven chapters teeming with concrete examples of best practice--Gallagher poses the need for teaching students why they should write.
Personal Application: Although he admits it takes some guts to “actually take the leap and write in front of” our students, his repetition of teacher modeling confirms that this truly is the best method for teaching writing.
Topics Covered: Research on Writing, Real-World Writing Purposes, Teacher Modeling, Mentor Texts, Student Samples
(Thanks to Jen Vincent for this structure!)
June 10, 2013
I was already a firm believer in using mentor text to teach writing and the "I do, we do, you do" approach to writing, so I was pleasantly surpised how much I gained from this book. First, this just wasn't a book on writing instruction. Gallagher explains why it's so important to develop student's higher thinking skills for the real world. Many of his lessons are designed to further students skills in thinking and evaluting text and was an excellent reminder of the strong connection between reading, thinking, and writing.
Following the introductory chapter, he explains 6 real world purposes for writing:Express and Reflect;Inform and Explain;Evaluate and Judge;
Inquire and Explore;Analyze and Interpret;Take a Stand/Propose a Solution. Each chapter contains mentor text examples and multiple lessons that can be used or adpated in the secondary classroom and easily fits with Common Core Standards.
My Big Take Aways
- Showing the relationship between real-world writing purposes & assignments is essential to students understanding the importance & relevance to developing their writing skills.
- If I can't find a real-world example, I probably shouldn't assign it. We need to teach students the purpose for writing vs. how to write a five paragraph essay.
- There is no such thing as a five paragraph essay in the real-world!
-As a writing teacher, I can easily get caught up in teaching the "art" of writing or making sure students follow a formula. I need to make sure students understand the "formula" behind each task and know when to apply it. The goal should be to develop life long writing skills not writing test takers.
- A reminder that writing is the product of higher level thinking, so teaching students processing skills and how to evaluate, judge, explain, and defend is just as, or even more important than the end product.
-Many examples of mentor texts and engaging writing lessons
Following the introductory chapter, he explains 6 real world purposes for writing:Express and Reflect;Inform and Explain;Evaluate and Judge;
Inquire and Explore;Analyze and Interpret;Take a Stand/Propose a Solution. Each chapter contains mentor text examples and multiple lessons that can be used or adpated in the secondary classroom and easily fits with Common Core Standards.
My Big Take Aways
- Showing the relationship between real-world writing purposes & assignments is essential to students understanding the importance & relevance to developing their writing skills.
- If I can't find a real-world example, I probably shouldn't assign it. We need to teach students the purpose for writing vs. how to write a five paragraph essay.
- There is no such thing as a five paragraph essay in the real-world!
-As a writing teacher, I can easily get caught up in teaching the "art" of writing or making sure students follow a formula. I need to make sure students understand the "formula" behind each task and know when to apply it. The goal should be to develop life long writing skills not writing test takers.
- A reminder that writing is the product of higher level thinking, so teaching students processing skills and how to evaluate, judge, explain, and defend is just as, or even more important than the end product.
-Many examples of mentor texts and engaging writing lessons
August 21, 2013
As an English teacher, I'm confronted with a big, nauseating commentary/question on a regular basis: "These kids don't know how to write. How do you teach kids to write?" Sometimes it is phrased as a lament about the downfall of composition. Sometimes we talk about bad writing as an epidemic--as if all the inkwells from the Staples headquarters were filled with H1N1. Sometimes I say it to myself and then feel sicker. The consensus is similar--teachers are unimpressed with students' writing (and, by in large) with the writing they read from adults.
But Kelly Gallagher doesn't allow this question to intimidate him. He carefully, methodically reviews the steps he takes to help students notice multiple purposes for writing in mentor texts AND write their own pieces. There were many times while reading this book that I paused, sighed, underlined parts I want to take with me into my own practice. Then there were times when I jolted up and professed my love--mad love--for Kelly Gallagher.
This book is for writing what Kylene Beers' When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do is for reading. Practical, smart, detailed, (and funny!) Gallagher reviews strategies he has used to open students understanding of purpose & mechanics. His strategies empower students the tools they need to become effective writers, rather than red-pen-reactors. He, as a faithful member of the NWP, professes the need that teachers write and model writing: "Our students don't need the best writer in their classrooms to assign writing; they need the best writer in their classrooms to sit smack dab in the middle of those rooms and model the wrestling match we go through to produce worthwhile writing" (225). Armed with strategies & reflection, I am excited to teach a new group of writers this year.
PS - I have noted that this book is finished, but I won't be done with it. I will keep it close by. Always.
But Kelly Gallagher doesn't allow this question to intimidate him. He carefully, methodically reviews the steps he takes to help students notice multiple purposes for writing in mentor texts AND write their own pieces. There were many times while reading this book that I paused, sighed, underlined parts I want to take with me into my own practice. Then there were times when I jolted up and professed my love--mad love--for Kelly Gallagher.
This book is for writing what Kylene Beers' When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do is for reading. Practical, smart, detailed, (and funny!) Gallagher reviews strategies he has used to open students understanding of purpose & mechanics. His strategies empower students the tools they need to become effective writers, rather than red-pen-reactors. He, as a faithful member of the NWP, professes the need that teachers write and model writing: "Our students don't need the best writer in their classrooms to assign writing; they need the best writer in their classrooms to sit smack dab in the middle of those rooms and model the wrestling match we go through to produce worthwhile writing" (225). Armed with strategies & reflection, I am excited to teach a new group of writers this year.
PS - I have noted that this book is finished, but I won't be done with it. I will keep it close by. Always.
October 21, 2011
If you want writing ideas ready to trot out, this is your book. Gallagher doesn't mince words much, just strings writing activity after writing activity, divided by purpose, each with its own chapter. Those purposes are "Express and Reflect," "Inform and Explain," "Evaluate and Judge," "Inquire and Explore," "Analyze and Interpret," and "Take a Stand/Propose a Solution." The caboose to all of this is "Polishing the Paper" (revision and editing ideas) and finally Gallagher's 10 Core Beliefs about Writing.
The foundation of this book is Gallagher's belief that students learn best by reading models and then emulating them. First among those models is the teacher herself. She may doubt her own skills as a writer, but the simple fact is that she's the strongest writer in the room. The best writing practice of all, hands down? Gallagher says it is writing in front of the class (overhead, SmartBoard, what have you) as you talk aloud. What if you make mistakes? All the better. Kids need to see that writing isn't magical and doesn't belong to those blessed with a gene. All first drafts are lousy -- even when they are written by the best writer in the room.
In addition, Gallagher believes students should read authentic writing. He provides some in the book, but you can find your own like he does in newspapers, magazines, blogs, or whatever. Copies are in the index for photocopying and marking up.
Many of these activities are brief and many of them clever. Some I'd even dare call fun looking. Meaning? I think I will get some positive response when I roll these out in my classroom. Looking at a master teacher's playbook never hurt anyone, after all.
The foundation of this book is Gallagher's belief that students learn best by reading models and then emulating them. First among those models is the teacher herself. She may doubt her own skills as a writer, but the simple fact is that she's the strongest writer in the room. The best writing practice of all, hands down? Gallagher says it is writing in front of the class (overhead, SmartBoard, what have you) as you talk aloud. What if you make mistakes? All the better. Kids need to see that writing isn't magical and doesn't belong to those blessed with a gene. All first drafts are lousy -- even when they are written by the best writer in the room.
In addition, Gallagher believes students should read authentic writing. He provides some in the book, but you can find your own like he does in newspapers, magazines, blogs, or whatever. Copies are in the index for photocopying and marking up.
Many of these activities are brief and many of them clever. Some I'd even dare call fun looking. Meaning? I think I will get some positive response when I roll these out in my classroom. Looking at a master teacher's playbook never hurt anyone, after all.
January 9, 2012
I really liked this book, and I like Kelly Gallagher's writing. As some mentioned, it is a bit like his book Adolescent Writers that he published a few years ago. Some of the ideas are very similar. Great ideas to get more writing in the classroom here...
What's more interesting to me in this book is the philosophy. As teachers, we have to be confident enough to stop doing things that take away from real reading and writing. That's hard to do. Many schools make the approach Gallagher is advocating very difficult. The emphasis on the 5 paragraph essay structure, the tension of test prep, the rigidity to hold on to traditional forms of teaching despite working with less than traditional students. How does a teacher adopt an approach like this, and convince his or her peers to do the same, when so many factors seem to work against it? That's a book I'd really like to read.
What's more interesting to me in this book is the philosophy. As teachers, we have to be confident enough to stop doing things that take away from real reading and writing. That's hard to do. Many schools make the approach Gallagher is advocating very difficult. The emphasis on the 5 paragraph essay structure, the tension of test prep, the rigidity to hold on to traditional forms of teaching despite working with less than traditional students. How does a teacher adopt an approach like this, and convince his or her peers to do the same, when so many factors seem to work against it? That's a book I'd really like to read.
February 18, 2012
Although I have finished reading this book, I'm going to have to go back and read it again... several times. I ingested quite a bit, but there's more to read and sink in, and of course I'd like to take some of his lesson suggestions, modify them, and apply them to my own classroom. As with Reading Reminders, I like his easy style of reading, without too much in the way of technical vocabulary, to describe his reasoning and experience... and then all the lessons he feels support his purposes. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the way he gets all this writing in during the school year and still gives the kids quality time to read in class, but maybe by the time I read all his books, it'll make more sense.
October 22, 2012
Kelly Gallagher is my teaching hero, but this book was only all right. As usual, there is a practical approach and plenty of real-life ideas that teachers can employ immediately in classrooms. I also appreciated Mr. Gallagher's coaching and apprenticeship model to writing instruction. His Sentence of the Week, like his Article of the Week, is excellent. But the bulk of the book was dedicated to into and intro activities, I felt, to promote each writing purpose, rather than on more substantive writing activities. Still, I gained a lot from this book and will use it when collaborating with my colleagues.
February 20, 2013
Filled with practical ways to assist students with real-world writing demands, the book is one I will return to again and again. There are even great strategies for writing in content areas such as mathematics and history, as well as easy-to-use templates and apendices with copyright-free models. I LOVE THIS BOOK!! HIghly recommended for anyone focused on doubling the amount of writing most secondary students are doing (a research finding shared in the book). If you haven't yet discovered Kelly Gallagher, another must-see is his website, featuring the informational text "Article of the Week" (www.kellygallagher.org). >^..^<
November 14, 2011
IF I DON'T GET TO GO TO THE IRA CONFERENCE IN APRIL OF 2012 AND FINALLY MEET KELLY GALLAGHER, I don't know if my life can go on ...!!! EVERY TEACHER WHO INTENDS TO BE A SUPPORTIVE PART OF THE COMMON CORE CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS MUST BUY THIS BOOK, READ IT, and PUT IT IN TO ACTION!!! No one will be able to say "I'm not a writing teacher" or "I don't know how to teach writing" after reading this book!
A MUST HAVE and a MUST READ --- especially for secondary teachers. :-)
A MUST HAVE and a MUST READ --- especially for secondary teachers. :-)
May 13, 2014
Oh how I love Kelly Gallagher. This is so useful. I've used a couple strategies and they've worked really well, although setting the stage for writing is imperative - I couldn't do this without having made my students write all the time this year. I just love his mindset that there are so many different purposes for writing, and different kinds of writing allow for varied types of learning. I inhaled this and have bookmarked EVERYTHING.
July 11, 2014
Great book. My only wish with Gallagher is that I could get a better sense of how his year is laid out with his students. He does so much stuff and does it so intensely that I feel like there's no way to make it work, so I need a better idea of how he fits it all in.
March 9, 2016
This book spoke to me personally and as a teacher. I enjoy Gallagher's teaching philosophy AND his methodology on the teaching of writing. The strongest chapter in the book: narrative writing. The weakest chapter in the book: argument writing.
August 14, 2016
Practical guide for modeling writing with students! Excellent prompts and examples!
December 12, 2016
CONSTANT go-to.
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